Tag Archives: Learning

“The greats never stop learning. Instinct and talent without technique just makes you reckless, like a teenager driving a powerful, high-performance vehicle. Instinct is raw clay that can be shaped into a masterpiece, if you develop skills that match your talent. That can only come from learning everything there is to know about what you do.”

Tim S. Grover

Both life and leadership are a journey of constant and continuous learning. I believe (and most sincerely hope) that I am a far better leader today than I was five years ago and yet I know that I am nowhere near where I want and need to be five or ten years from now. It has nothing to do with role or title but everything to do with impact and effectiveness. The more I learn the more that I realize how much more I need to learn and how much opportunity I have to grow and improve.

I had a conversation with a leader that I greatly respect last night on the impact and power of mindfulness and focus, especially in today’s incredibly distracted age. The time that can, and is, wasted on non-value added activity is so powerful if it can be harnessed for intentional learning and thinking. I have so much to learn about this both from a skill and knowledge perspective and have been receiving multiple nudges in this direction over the past several months.

For example, I just finished reading (through a book club I belong to) an excellent book titled “Digital Minimalism” about the power of focus in a very noisy world and I am I am in the process of reading another book (that was referenced in “Digital Minimalism”) titled (Lead Yourself First) that is really pushing me outside of my comfort zone and making me realize the power of, and need for, quiet and solitude to clarify one’s thinking.

I bring both of these up not to recommend or push others down this path but simply as an example of my own journey and realizing how much work I need to continue to do on myself as a Christian, leader, husband and father. Life is a journey. You are either growing, or you are dying on the vine…

Like this:

“Earn the right to be heard by listening to others. Seek to understand a situation before making judgments about it.”

John Maxwell

When I read this quote I immediately thought of the book “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People.” I haven’t read this book in a number of years but it has long been one of my favorites. Habit #5 from the book is “Seek first to understand, then be understood” and it is probably one of my absolute favorites. I know that I use this phrase all the time when communicating with others about the importance of digging deep and trying to understand any situation.

I think the same principle either from that habit or from this quote applies when trying to understand oneself and our behavior. What are the deep questions that you ask yourself in challenging situations or even when you are just trying to grow and learn? How do you slow down to ensure that you are really thinking the right things through?

There is a key thought outlined in the quote above that is so important and bears further rumination. “Seek to understand a situation before making judgments about it.” I think that is the aspect that so many folks, most certainly including myself, miss out on. We are listening (or at least we tell ourselves we are) but we are listening to find fault, or to prepare our side of the argument. Research shows that most people are simply listening to respond, not understand, and certainly not with judgment. How do you ensure that you have suspended judgment so that you can truly understand?

Maybe it is as simple as this. To understand, to truly understand without making judgments, one must surrender the need the be right. Much easier said than done of course however think through how liberating that could be when really getting deep into a topic or situation. I believe doing that is what enables the first part of this quote to happen. If you do this well, you earn the right to be heard…

Like this:

“You are always a student, never a master. You have to keep moving forward.”

Conrad Hall

There is always more to learn. Sometimes the lesson taught might be the same, but the learnings are far far different. The master is one who has no more to learn. No more to grow, no more to see. To claim mastery is to give up humility. Never a master, forever a student.

“But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Be wretched and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.” James 4:6-10

To seek mastery above all else requires the surrender of humility. Not a worthy exchange…

Like this:

“The key to pursuing excellence is to embrace an organic, long-term learning process, and not to live in a shell of static, safe mediocrity. Usually, growth comes at the expense of previous comfort or safety.”

Josh Waitzkin

“Static, safe mediocrity.” Just those words alone make my skin crawl. Learning, and being willing to change because of what you have learned, is key to breaking free from the trap of “static, safe mediocrity.’

So what are you going to go learn today? Not just a check the box thing where you can say you learned something new. But what are you going to go learn that has the power to challenge the status quo or how you think?

If you don’t seek to learn something new daily, something that challenges you, you are well on the path to “static, safe mediocrity.”

Like this:

“When you make a mistake, there are only three things you should ever do about it: admit it, learn from it, and don’t repeat it.”

Paul Bear Bryant

When was the last time you made a really big mistake? I mean the kind where you knew you had a real mess to clean up? Was it fun? Of course not. If it was a mistake that really mattered there can’t be anything fun about cleaning it up. But the flip side is that without making some big mistakes you can’t really engage in big learnings. The kind that shake you to your core and make you really dig into yourself and who you are.

To learn from these types of mistakes you first have to admit that you have made one. For some reason that always seems to be the hardest part. Maybe it is pride, or ego that clouds your judgment. Maybe a long history of success has created an aura of self-righteousness. Whatever it is, if you can’t admit a mistake, then you can’t learn. If you can’t learn you are going to repeat that same mistake.

While screwing something up and making a mistake is never fun, learning from it and acting to resolve can be. The joy comes with the doing and growing. Never let a good mistake go to waste. There is so much than can be learned…

One of my favorite questions to ask my kids is “what did you learn today?” At age nine and almost seven it isn’t always well-received. Sometimes the answer is “nothing” or “I don’t know” but a lot of the time I am surprised by what they are learning each and every day. One of the traits that I want to instill in them is a deep thirst for learning. That every day is an opportunity to learn something new and grow, even if just a little bit. I want them to lean into every day looking for opportunities to learn.

A spirit of learning and growth is very intentional. It’s not the same as looking back and realizing you learned something. That happens by on a daily basis almost by accident for everyone. Practicing active reflection and considering what has been learned is really important, and something we should all do. But what I am talking about is starting the day with the specific goal to learn something. The deliberate practice of seeking out new knowledge and information.

I have found that when I do good at framing my mind for learning (and I certainly don’t do it well all the time) I will discover far more than when I am in a transactional “get it done” mode of thinking. A simple conversation in the hall at work, an article read, a conversation with a friend. Those can all be platforms for new learning if you made the active choice to live every day with a goal to be able to answer the question “what can I learn today?”

A day where nothing new is learned, or perhaps even more importantly, where there is no attempt to learn something new, is my definition of a wasted day.

Like this:

“If you don’t have the information you need to make wise choices, find someone who does.”

Lori Hil

“Why” is the most powerful word in the English language. Well, I guess that is a fairly broad statement, but I will certainly make the statement that “why” is the most important word in English as it regards to leadership. What on earth does that have to do with today’s quote? Glad you asked.

Far too often we bog down and spend so much of our time talking about “what” we are going to do without understanding “why” something has happened. Digging deeply into the why, and getting input and perspective from others, is critical to making good decisions in life and leadership. To seek information, to make good choices, to lead, one must understand whatever situation or challenge is in front of you. To be able to do this you either must have all the information yourself, or you have to go out and get it. If you don’t have all the information, and who ever really does, you have to be willing to admit that fact and actively seek to gain it from others.

So why don’t people do this more often? Why is this such a challenge in life and leadership? Asking for input and perspective from others takes self-awareness. It takes humility. It means understanding that you don’t have all the information, you don’t have all the answers, you don’t have all the knowledge. Asking “why” takes courage and a willingness to learn without having a bias towards your own self-beliefs. In today’s world admitting that you don’t know something is challenging for many people and leaders. Of course the flip side side far worse, if you don’t seek perspective then you are stuck with whatever you have been able to learn on your own. The more we rely on what we already know, the less likely we are to make wise choices. Find someone who knows more than you do, and ask lots of questions. Why limit yourself to only what you already know?

Like this:

“Be present. I would encourage you with all my heart just to be present. Be present and open to the moment that is unfolding before you. Because, ultimately, your life is made up of moments. So, don’t miss them by being lost in the past or anticipating the future.”

Jessica Lange

Full disclosure. I really struggle with being able to follow the wisdom provided in this quote. I don’t disagree with it at all, I just have a harding time actually following it. As a person that is deeply wired to be goal driven and future oriented I miss being in the current moment far too often. Being present is hard. It is easier to live in the future or get lost while revisiting the past.

20 years ago someone told me that if I “spent all my effort focused on the goal I would miss out on the learning and joy that comes from the journey itself.” This is so very true, and yet still so hard to do. But to be present is where the future is created. The moments we are in today are creating the future we want to have. The moments can be magic…

Like this:

“Be like water making its way through cracks. Do not be assertive, but adjust to the object, and you shall find a way around or through it. If nothing within you stays rigid, outward things will disclose themselves. Empty your mind, be formless. Shapeless, like water. If you put water into a cup, it becomes the cup. You put water into a bottle and it becomes the bottle. You put it in a teapot, it becomes the teapot. Now, water can flow or it can crash. Be water, my friend.”

Bruce Lee

Over, under, around or through… Water always adjusts to its environment. It’s too bad it isn’t as easy for us humans. When I first read this quote I admit that I thought it was a cool one because it was Bruce Lee. But then I really started to think about each sentence and what it can mean from a life and leadership perspective. The more I reflected, the more I realized that the wisdom expressed here is simply incredible.

How much time and energy do we waste trying to get the world to conform to us, to our wants and needs? Why is it often so hard to sit back, surrender our ego and simply be as water? The learning and knowledge that dances just out of reach until we humble ourselves and adjust to the world and become aware of the outward things that disclose themselves to us. You can learn so much when you sit back and observe, when you take the time to “Empty your mind, be formless.”

The lesson I take today is just how important it is to just let go of your ego, be humble, be willing to adjust and learn and always flexible in your approach. Look what grand things happen when the way of water is followed…

Like this:

“I have been impressed with the urgency of doing. Knowing is not enough; we must apply. Being willing is not enough, we must do.”

Leonardo da Vinci

I have just finished a fascinating book titled “The Leading Brain” which delves into how our brain works and the reason why we make the decisions we do. Understanding the neuroscience behind our behavior as humans and particularly as leaders is really really interesting and has given me much greater insight to my own behaviors and how to change them for the better.

One of the things I learned was how precisely how powerful small habits can be and the science behind why breaking the big things down into reasonable and attainable actions creates long term and sustainable success. I thought I used to do this fairly well but now knowing the importance of “doing” as this quote from Leonardo points out, I recognize how critical these actions are to rewire your brain. By breaking things down, starting with small actions, creating wins that give you brain the dopamine boost it craves you literally rewire your neural paths and reinforce the way you want your brain to work. Incredible! (yes, I recognize that I am a geek for this stuff…)

Like this:

“Lots of people want to ride with you in the limo, but what you want is someone who will take the bus with you when the limo breaks down.”Oprah Winfrey

It is easy to find people that will make you a priority when it is to their benefit, but what about when you really need them to help you? Do you have a list of people that you know would answer the phone and help no matter what?

I am a person that struggles to reach out to others at times “because I don’t want to be a burden” and because I was taught growing up to be incredibly self-reliant.That doesn’t get it done when life and leadership gets tough.

You need to have people there that will support you and know that you will support them, no matter what. I am reminded of one of my favorite verses in scripture when I read this quote. “A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.” Hebrews 17:17 ESV Having that friend and brother (or sister) to rely upon is critical in life.

I challenge you to think about these two questions and cultivate that list of folks that you know will get on the bus with you when the limo breaks down.

Who is on your short list to call when you are challenged and need help fighting a battle?

Whose list are YOU on? Who knows that they can call on you anytime for anything?

“We can choose to be affected by the world or we can choose to affect the world. ”

Heidi Wills

For as long as I can remember one of the driving principles of my life has been the belief that there are just two types of people in the world. Those who the world happens to, and those who happen to the world. I have always focused on being in the latter category.

Today’s quote says basically the same thing but with a slight different perspective. Is it overly simplistic and generalizing? Probably. But just maybe it isn’t. Happiness is a choice. Determination is a choice. Focus is a choice. Everything we do is a choice we have the freedom to make.

I think many people, myself most certainly included, get lost in the “big picture.” Because we can’t control what happens at the macro level we choose not to manage ourselves at the micro level. But we have to choose to affect the world at the micro level, taking ownership of our decisions and behaviors daily. When we do this we have much more influence on the world around us.

When you wake up in the morning are you going to define your day, or be defined by the day that happens to you? Ask yourself tonight which person you were today. Did you affect your world?

How easily we understand the need to change our body by challenging it with difficulty. We get up early, we go to the gym, we push out just one more repetition on the bench press. We know that by challenging the body we become stronger. Embracing the suck is what we do to get stronger physically. It’s easy to do because we have a goal we are striving to accomplish.

It works the same way with mental difficulties of course, but those aren’t as easy to embrace. I’m not talking about learning new things and seeking new knowledge, that’s different. I mean the times when life is challenging us, when things aren’t going our way. Those difficulties aren’t as easy to embrace as strengthening opportunities, until you set aside emotions and personal pride and truly seek to learn from whatever challenge life has thrown your way. That’s when the breakthroughs happen. That’s when we get stronger…

Like this:

“The whole point of getting things done is knowing what to leave undone.”

Oswald Chambers

This might be the biggest challenge a leader faces. For that matter it might be the biggest challenge any person faces. Saying “yes” to something means that you are saying “no” to something else.

Do you have a crystal clear understanding of your priorities? I’d like to think that I do, but honestly I struggle at times to say “no.” There is always more than can be done than should be done. For me it helps to break the question into two parts.

Should I do this? Does it align with my priorities and goals?

If yes, then can I do it? If I say yes will I be able to complete it at an acceptable level without impacting my previous commitments?

This is our society today isn’t it? There is so much information available that we can only consume it in 140 character soundbites. Or so much information available that we never want to make a decision because we can always find “just a bit more information” to ensure our decision is the right one. What if we had less information, but more focus? Is the old adage that “less is more” more appropriate now than ever before?

I have been spending a ton of time lately reading everything I can get my hands on regarding focus and intentionality. I am actively seeking out secret tips and special tactics to be more productive with my time. I found myself reflecting back to the “good old days” when there wasn’t a constant barrage of information coming at us 24/7. But then I picked up my copy of “The Effective Executive” by Peter Drucker (a gift from a very wise friend) and challenges back then were the same challenges we face today. (By the way, that book was written 50 years ago) How do you make the best and biggest impact with the time that you have? As much as we’d (me especially) like to make it a modern problem, it isn’t. I’d say it’s a human problem. Why do you think that is?

Like this:

“You will either step forward into growth or you will step back into safety.”

Abraham Maslow

Growth is uncomfortable if you are stretching yourself. It’s fun right?! It’s exciting and it’s scary. But in a good scary kind of way. The kind of scary that makes your heart beat fast and your palms sweat. Like the first day you drove a car by yourself. Or the first time you had the courage to pick up the phone and call your crush and ask her out. But what if we never did? What if we were always safe? Safety scares me more than growth. Because “safe” means stagnant, or complacent or perhaps death. I mean, what if we still thought the world was flat? That would have been the “safe” choice back in the day…

This quote made me sit back and think and ask myself some tough questions. Would I rather be on the mountain or in the valley? Where am I now? Which experiences have given me the greatest growth? Well the obvious answer is that I want to be ON the mountain. I mean we all would right? But that is surface level and as I really challenged myself to think through this and what the implications were for me personally I realized that the pursuit of the mountain, while motivational and inspiring, haven’t been as personally or professionally impactful on me as my times in the valley. I need the valley to push me out of my comfort zones, to get real and raw with myself and make the necessary changes to grow as a leader.

But the valley experience alone doesn’t create growth or maturity. Upon more reflection it dawned on me that even during tough times, even during periods of real challenge it is so important to always keep an eye on the horizon to the mountain in the distance. It might seem so far away but it is critical to look up, check that it is still there and remind yourself of why you are pushing through the hard stuff to get out of the valley.

Rick Warren has one of my favorite quotes regarding overcoming pain (the valley). In it he says “Your greatest ministry will likely come from your deepest pain.” This strikes a chord for me on many levels. Ultimately it is about how you can anchor your vision on the mountain, your ministry, the future impact that you want to have on others, and then lean forward to embrace the suck and seek to wring every drop of learning from the experience of being in the valley. I wouldn’t trade away a single valley experience. They are just too important for growth. “Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil…”

Like this:

“No matter how good you think you are as a leader, my goodness, the people around you will have all kinds of ideas for how you can get better. So for me, the most fundamental thing about leadership is to have the humility to continue to get feedback and to try to get better – because your job is to try to help everybody else get better.”

Jim Yong Kim

Someone once told me that as soon as soon as you profess “I am humble” you have ceased to be so in any way. Humility is hard. We all want to be good. Heck with that, we want to be great! But what does it mean to be great? Is it all about doing it for me? For I? For the ego? The self? The pursuit of selfish endeavors or selfish gains? That is the opposite of humility! For me humility is the recognition that I still yet have a lot to learn. That I will always have more to learn and that everyone can teach me something.

My Dad (who by the way is one of the greatest influences in my life from both a leadership and human character perspective) taught me when I was very young that the value of a person wasn’t measured in the car that they drove or the clothes that they wore. Instead, the value of another man was measured entirely in how they treated other people. Interesting right?! The value of a human being measured not in what they have, but in what they give. Respect. Honor. Dignity. Compassion. Service. These are just some of the gifts that the greats give, regardless of the size of their bank account or their station in life.

So, for today’s quote this is one lesson that I hope I never forget. Ask for feedback. LISTEN to the response. Get better. Period. The day you think you have arrived your journey has ended. Leadership is learning and growing. I am a better leader today than I was one year ago and I hope that what I am today is a pale shadow compared to what I have become a year from now based on really listening, learning, and growing.